Vida’s Plant Based Butcher a vegan delight
As head-scratching phrases go, “vegan butcher” is up there with “act naturally.” Just because both expressions sound oxymoronic, though, doesn’t mean that they don’t describe something worth striving for.
Enter recently opened Vida’s Plant Based Butcher near Grandview Heights. The modern, bright and friendly eatery has been serving for only two months, but it has a respected progenitor: Truly Vida, a wholesale vegan-foods producer and supplier founded a couple years ago that lists among its local clients Dirty Frank’s Hot Dog Palace, North High Brewing, Eden Burger and Eden Burger’s more ambitious spinoff 4th & State.
When you pull up to the new restaurant, you will see a pleasant little patio with red metal tables and decorative hay bales. If you so desire, you can eat your to-go-packaged food out there or inside Vida’s compact space while seated at a small wooden counter.
The counter is part of a deli-style setup whose centerpiece is a refrigerated glass butcher case filled with house-made vegan substitutes for cheeses (often fashioned from nuts) and seitan- or soy-based cold cuts meant to mimic delicatessen meats, several of which are sold for $4.50 per quarter-pound. The eatery also features a chalkboard menu that showcases vegan versions of classic sandwiches.
The best of these might be the Sloppy Joe ($9): A toasted hoagie roll loaded with texturally convincing faux
good beef.”
Those who want a non-meat burger, and one that flaunts Mediterranean style, can opt for the falafel version ($10) made from scratch.
The falafel patties are made from dried chickpeas, which are soaked in water and pureed with onions, cilantro and a host of spices. The deep-fried patties are served with tapenade, feta, pesto mayo and arugula.
“It’s kind of like an antipasto all in one bite on a sandwich,” Lassak said.
The chef gives a nod to game day with two styles of chicken wings.
The Asian drummies ($12) offer six drumsticks that are dry-rubbed, parcooked in the oven and deep-fried until crispy. They are tossed with a Japanese barbecue sauce, flecked with sesame seeds and served with a soy-ginger cabbage slaw.
Like their Asian counterparts, the traditional Buffalo-style drumsticks ($12) also get a vigorous spice rub and preparation. The hot sauce is fortified with extra spices and chile peppers for some noticeable heat.
“We kick it up a little bit with the spicy pepper powders, and spice it up
a little more with Sriracha to give it a bigger kick,” Lassak said.
The wings are served with blue cheese dressing, carrots and celery.
Wolf ’s Ridge puts its beer to good use in many dishes, such as the fish and chips ($22), where cod is dipped in beer batter (usually using a lager), fried and served with house-made tartar sauce, fries and a vinegar distilled from Pack IPA, one of its most popular brews.
Lassak uses dry hops to season the pickles. The hops are steeped in the brine and removed before cucumbers are added. The pickles show up in all sorts of places, such as the Cuban sandwich ($11), using slow-cooked pulled pork, Swiss, a strong Dijon and ham from Beeler’s pure pork.
“It’s a really classic sandwich,” Lassak said, “and we put our spin on it.”
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